JERRY MCCREA/THE STAR-LEDGERResident, Dorothy Jeffreys; Kindergarteners from Lincoln School in Caldwell are having a yearlong interaction with seniors from the Sunrise Assisted Living facility in Fairfield

There are things that easily cross national boundaries. Like love, gratitude, tolerance, valor, and many other human attributes, loneliness too, reigns unchallenged by its omnipresence. And nowhere is it more pronounced than in advanced age. In a world, cramped with declining finances and rising expenditures, seniors are the first to fall out of favor and hence tossed out of families. New houses in the form of nursing homes, old homes, and senior citizen centers become their new families. Make no mistake; they all do a great job. Be it skilled nursing care, dedicated physician services, or recreational facilities, they all serve well.

But the question emerges, how homely are these homes? To the very old, to the wheelchair bound, to the demented, in other words, to the disenchanted sidelined few, are we serving them completely or merely dishing out end of life essentials?

While no one denies physical care, the one quintessential faculty often overlooked in today’s health care for the geriatric population is the emotional quotient. Quite like an infant, the aged, the stroked out, and the demented mind will not be able to open up. Wrapped in an inward contemplation, these minds will not be able to express as normal adults would. The vacant obedience throws a wrong signal of a non-complaining, healthy mind. Or worse, that of a stony insensibility. And all this while a pain inside whirlwinds relentlessly. Pain that could be physical, emotional or both.

Thus the crying necessity for behavioral therapy for every geriatric patient. The absolute need for medical and nursing staff trained in not just dishing out medicines and food, but in recognition of these silent, unspoken signs and symptoms. The ability to spot a smile behind a mute melancholy. What is needed and imperative is to create an environment of familiarity and harmony that will enable the 80 year old to identify and communicate.

And this is exactly where Assemblyman Reed Gusciora’s effort comes out as pragmatic and pioneering. What stands out in this endeavor is the ability to identify the crux of the challenge. The comprehension that a human body is useless unless the mind is addressed. Aptly called the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community pilot program, in essence this program would allow senior residents to remain in their homes and savor the type of services metered out that would otherwise come from assisted-living institutional settings. Thus the cocktail of regimented care and institutionalized isolation will give way to a residential area with an immediate sense of belonging and accessibility. Excellent concept and long due.

Truth be told, many an onrushing depression or dementia are better challenged with an environment that is courteous and compatible as opposed to bottle neck isolation riddled with medicines.